I’m delighted to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for compelling debut novel Wahala by Nikki May. Thank you to Anne Cater and Doubleday Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderfully immersive and addictive book.
About the book:
Ronke, Simi, Boo are three mixed-race friends living in London.
They have the gift of two cultures, Nigerian and English.
Not all of them choose to see it that way.
Everyday racism has never held them back, but now in their thirties, they question their future. Ronke wants a husband (he must be Nigerian); Boo enjoys (correction: endures) stay-at-home motherhood; while Simi, full of fashion career dreams, rolls her eyes as her boss refers to her urban vibe yet again.
When Isobel, a lethally glamorous friend from their past arrives in town, she is determined to fix their futures for them.
Cracks in their friendship begin to appear, and it is soon obvious Isobel is not sorting but wrecking. When she is driven to a terrible act, the women are forced to reckon with a crime in their past that may just have repeated itself.
Explosive, hilarious and wildly entertaining, this razor-sharp tale of love, race and family will have you laughing, crying and gasping in horror. Fearlessly political about class, colourism and clothes, the spellbinding Wahala is for anyone who has ever cherished friendship, in all its forms.
About the author:
Born in Bristol, raised in Lagos, NIKKI MAY is Anglo-Nigerian. She ran a successful ad agency before turning to writing. Her debut novel WAHALA was inspired by a long (and loud) lunch with friends. It will be published around the world in January 2022 and is being turned into major BBC TV drama. She lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard schnauzers, and way too many books.
You can follow Nikki on Twitter: @NikkiOMay
Or Instagram: @nikkimaywriter
My Review:
Wahala is the debut novel of author Nikki May. An utterly compelling and addictive read, it tells the story of Anglo-Nigerian friends Ronke, Simi and Boo. Now in their thirties the three friends begin to question the choices they’ve made and what it is they want from their future. Is it marriage and a stable family life, a high flying career or a combination of all three?
The women have very different ideas of what they want their futures to be, so when an old childhood friend of Simi’s turns up, the lethally glamorous Isobel, they start to wonder just how much better their lives could be. But as the manipulative Isobel begins to infiltrate their lives, the close bonds of their friendship begin to splinter, leaving the three friends not knowing who to trust as their lives begin to spiral out of control…
Wahala is an at times funny but totally immersive read that brings the three friends vividly to life, each with their own distinctive voice and individuality, especially when it comes to their experience of race, culture, family, friendship and love in all its different guises. It is a story that never holds back, with themes that encompass everything from racism to the betrayal of trust and the fallout that comes along with that.
Nikki May has written an exceptional debut novel that is a modern and refreshing exploration of the Anglo-Nigerian culture. I can see why Wahala has been likened to novels such as the brilliant Expectation by Anna Hope, a book which had a huge impact on me when I read it several years ago. With themes of modern life, strong female friendship, love and betrayal, Wahala is a thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking read that I would highly recommend.
Wahala by Nikki May is available to purchase now:
Check out what these other bloggers have to say about this fabulous book:
Cal Turner Reviews 
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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The cover made me think this was a fantasy book, but I see it isn’t. Now I wonder why I didn’t ask for the ARC.
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